Stanmore showed great spirit and determination to win their first Middlesex County League match of the season at Hampstead on Saturday (24) and if they continue in this kind of form their young team look certain to be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier Division.

After the home side won the toss and elected to bat first, they quickly lost opener Imraan Mohammed to Stanmore skipper Marc Reingold.

Brandon Buckley (65) and Rob Tidy repaired the damage with a stand of 87 but then the Stanmore spin twins Nick Goh and Mukesh Bhatt began to get among them, bowling extremely well to take nine wickets between them as Hampstead were dismissed for a meagre 192.

Goh claiming 5-41 off 18 overs and Bhatt ended with 4-81.

The Stanmore reply was a positive one, with opener Umesh Valjee (44) setting the pattern and an unbeaten 60 from number three Omar Anwar 60 put them firmly on course for the target, which was comfortably reached with six wickets to spare.

The win lifted Stanmore up to fourth place in the Premier division table, just six pooints behing leaders Teddington, and they will be expecting to add to their success this Saturday(31) when they are away to lowly Southgate.

HAMPSTEAD

Buckley c & b Goh.............65

Mohammed c Anwar b Reingold.............4

Tidy c Mehra b Goh..........24

Sharma c Anward b Bhatt..............0

Akhtar b Goh.............14

Weekes not out...............33

Headley c Reingold b Goh..............3

Patel b Bhatt........................3

Thomas st Black b Bhatt...............15

Cotterell b Goh................13

Khan lbw b Bhatt............0

Extras 13

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Total 192

Fall of wickets: 1 at 6, 2 at 93, 3 at 101, 4 at 105, 6 at 131, 7 at 142, 8 at163, 9 at 178, 10 at 192.

Bowling: McCarthy 9-4-10-0; Reingold 10-3-24-1; Jadav 4-0-25-0; Bhatt 20.1-3-81-4; Goh 18-6-41-5.

STANMORE

Valjee c Cotterell b Weekes............46

Mehra c Mohammed b Weekes..........17

Anwar not out.....................60

McCarthy c Akhtar b Sharma.............21

Amin c Mohammed b shamra..............6

Jadav not out..................21

Extras 24

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Total (for 4 wkts) 193

Fall of wickets: 1 at 40, 2 at 100, 3 at 139, 4 at 147.

Bowling: Khan 7-1-16-0; Thomas 4-0-24-0; Weekes 19-2-44-2; Akhtar 13-0-57-0; Sharma 8-0-36-2; Buckley 1-0-1-0.